Who is the real Times Square Hero?

In today’s press review, we focus on the failed bomb attack in Times Square. International newspapers have reported several “heros”, including T-shirt vendor Lance Orton, hand-bag vendor Duane Jackson and Senegalese immigrant Aliou Niasse.

The New York Times does the portrait of the man who’s thought to have saved thousands of people in Times Square, over the week-end.

Lance Orton, a T-shirt vendor says he spotted a smoking 4x4 next to his stall. He alerted a policeman and an evacuation was ordered. The paper describes the Vietnam war veteran as a “reluctant hero”.

However, the international press has been reporting on several different Times Square Heroes... The blog gawker.com refers to two vendors and to a Senegalese immigrant.

The story also made the front page of British newspaper, including The Independent. Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the failed attack, but US authorities have not made a clear link.

According to the British media, there could be a link with a similar case that occurred in London in 2007. The Daily Telegraph talks about another possible lead: The South Park creators. They had received threats from an Islamic group last month.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal wonders what would have happened bomb had detonated.

In other news, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico...USA Today says people in Louisiana feel ‘helpless”. And finally, The Times newspaper reports about “Number One”, the first bird to have been rescued from the Gulf of Mexico.

An Australian at heart with Indian origins, Dheepthika has been at FRANCE 24 since 2012. She loves browsing through the papers with a special soft spot for anything Aussie and anything that takes us out of the mundane.

FLORENCE VILLEMINOTJournalist

As a bilingual Franco-American, she enjoys explaining everything French to an Anglophone audience… as well as exploring ideas that will shape the future.

HAXIE MEYERS-BELKIN Presenter

A Londoner born and bred, Haxie joined FRANCE 24 in 2013 and hasn't looked back. She's covered everything from international affairs to culture, but enjoys nothing more than sifting through the papers to find the most insightful articles and scathing cartoons of the day.